On 25th July, 2022, the Philippines’ “Vape Bill” was enacted, aiming to regulate the import, sale, manufacture, distribution, and use of e-cigarette and heated tobacco products. The bill is being welcomed by activists as a step in the right direction toward embracing harm reduction strategies.

The Philippines enacted a bill on the 25th of July in a step toward promoting vaping and heated tobacco products as effective harm reduction strategies. The bill importantly focuses on imposing age restrictions on nicotine products for those under 18 years of age, ensuring that current adult smokers have access to these less harmful alternatives to cigarettes while combatting youth usage.

Liza Katsiashvili, the community manager at the World Vapers’ Alliance, said in a preasráiteas: “"Cé go bhfuil an chuid is mó de lucht déanta beartas mífhaisnéiseach agus go dtroideann siad i gcoinne galú, lean na hOileáin Fhilipíneacha an cosán ceart chun glacadh le galú mar nuálaíocht éifeachtach laghdaithe díobhála chun beatha a shábháil. Ba chóir do thíortha eile an sampla seo a leanúint agus beartais chliste galúcháin a fhormhuiniú chun sláinte phoiblí fheabhsaithe a chinntiú do na milliúin tomhaltóirí ar fud an domhain."”

Every year, smoking kills nearly 100,000 people in the Philippines. This progressive bill seeks to embrace vaping as a safer nicotine alternative to smoking, and in the process, should help the country cut down on smoking-related illnesses, diseases, and hopefully, death.

Anton Israel, founder of the Nicotine Consumption Union of the Philippines (NCUP), said: “"Tá lucht gaile sna hOileáin Fhilipíneacha ag ceiliúradh bua ollmhór! Creidimid gur straitéis chúram sláinte é an bille gaile a chuireann rogha tomhaltóirí agus deis chun cinn do chaiteoirí tobac taitneamh a bhaint as roghanna níos sábháilte seachas tobac inadhainte. Tabharfaidh cinneadh an rialtais gaile a spreagadh seachas é a dhíspreagadh buntáistí ollmhóra sláinte poiblí don tír."”

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